Some form of dulcimer can
be found in most parts of the world and early music scholars such

as Anthony Baines
thought that the idea of a beaten psaltery or dulcimer, may have come from
Persia.

(Musical Instruments
Through the Ages' - Pelican 1961)

More recently researchers
like Paul M. Gifford have argue that the dulcimer first appeared from western
Europe during

the early fifteenth
century, prior to the earliest Islamic evidence of a struck dulcimer and
concluded that 'Therefore we must accept the evidence that the dulcimer
arose in Western Europe independently.'

(The Hammered Dulcimer, A
History - Scarecrow Press 2001)

In each country a struck
dulcimer has its
own name and below are some of them.

North America

a.

b.

U.S.A - Hammer dulcimer

Mexico - Salterio

Scandinavia

c.

d.

e.

Denmark - Hakkebaet

Norway - Hakkebrett

Sweden - Hackbrade

Western Europe

f.

g.

h.

Switzerland-Hackbrett

Germany - Hackbrett

Austria - Hackbrett

England - Dulcimer

Ireland -
Dulcimer

Scotland - Dulcimer

Spain - Salterio

Portugal - Salterio

Italy - Salterio

Eastern Europe

i.

j.

k.

Latvia - Cimbole

Lithuania -
Cimbolai

Belarus - Cymbaly

Poland - Cymbaly

Russia (Klintsy) -
Tsymbali

Ukraine (Ivano-Frankivsk)

- Tsymbaly

Slovakia - Cimbal

Hungary - Cimbalom
or Citera

Slovenia - Cimbale
or Oprekelj

Croatia - Cimbal or
Cimbul

Romania - Tambal

Ukraine (Crimea) -
Santyr

Bulgaria - Tsimbal

Greece - Santouri

Middle East

l.

m.

n.

Turkey - Santur

Armenia - Santir

Israel - Tsimbl,
Cymbal, Hakbreydl

Iraq - Santour

Iran - Santour

East

o.

p.

q.

Uzbekistan - Chang

India (Jammu) -
Santoor

Mongolia - Yoochin

China (Xinjiang
Province) - Chang

China (Beijing) -
Yangqin

Korea - Yanggeum

Taiwan - Yangqin

Burma - Don-min

Thailand - Khim or
butterfly harp

Vietnam - đŕn tam
thập lục

Cambodia - Khum

Photos

a. American
hammered dulcimer player

b. Mexican Salterio player

c. Swedish Hackbrade played by Ted Yoder

d. A highly
decorated Hackbrett from the Tyrol

e. Swiss Hackbrett player Nicolas Senn

f. Dulcimer
player Bill Fell of Birmingham, England

g. Scottish
dulcimer player Jimmy Cooper

h. Dulcimer
player John Rae from Northern Ireland

i. A Belarus
Cymbaly player

j. Hungarian
Cimbalom virtuoso Viktória Herencsár

k. A Greek Santouri player

l. Juan Manuel
Rubio playing a Turkish Santur

m. A Santour
player from Iraq

n. Sina Bathaie
playing a Persian Santour

p. Ustaad
Tibetbaqal, Indian Santoor player

p. A highly
decorated Uzbekistan Chang

q. Chinese Yanqin player Zhou Gege

Click on the photo thumbnails to
see larger images.

Below is a map which
indicates where dulcimers are found around the world.

Click on a red dulcimer shaped pin
and a description of that county's dulcimer will appear, along with links to
videos of the instrument being played. N.B. the orange triangular pins relate to
the mountain dulcimer family.

This map is part of a Dulcimer
Education Pack produced by the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club,